Published: October 11, 2025
MONROVIA – Over the years, the crime rate has been on the rise in the Municipality of New Kru Town. The municipality is in the suburb of Bushrod Island, Liberia.
Following his appointment on September 23, 2024, by President Joseph Boakai and subsequent confirmation by the Liberian Senate as governor of the municipality, Robert B. Teah, along with his team of deputies, has been strategizing to ensure the area is a safer place for residents and businesspeople.
Even though the Liberia National Police has a sub-department in the municipality but due to the many logistical challenges, home and business centers are broken into daily by criminals, while residents and businesspeople are constantly attacked with sharp instruments, razor blades, machetes, kitchen knives, and other sharp instruments.
The municipality is adjacent to the Duala market, which is home to several dangerous criminals and disadvantaged drug addicts who use the market as shelter and launch their onslaught on peaceful residents and businesspeople at night and escape with their valuables.
In an effort to reduce criminal activities in the municipality, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, Teah organized a meeting with Crime Watch Liberia, the Liberia National Police, Community Watch Forum of Liberia, and other stakeholders aimed at fostering a partnership.
Zeze Ballah, chief executive officer of Crime Watch Liberia, stressed a point at the partnership meeting among the governor’s office, Crime Watch Liberia, the Liberia National Police, the Community Watch Forum of Liberia, and stakeholders, Photo Governor Robert B. Teah office
The group, Crime Watch Liberia, is made up of volunteer community members helping to strengthen the efforts of the Liberia National Police in several communities during the night hours.
Crime Watch Liberia has stepped into a gap left by the police, offering rapid response to people attacked by thieves, armed robbers, and even emergencies, such as helping pregnant women in labor pain to reach health facilities, and getting a quick response from authorities when there is a fire outbreak.
During the meeting at his office in the municipality aimed at forming a partnership, Teah stated that crimes are on the rise.
“There is a need for a partnership with Crime Watch Liberia that is working meticulously with the Police and Community Watch Focus of Liberia in several communities in Monrovia and its environs to reduce criminal activities,” Teah said.
According to him, residents of the municipality complained to his office every day about burglary and other crimes that occurred at night adding “the insufficient Police officers assigned at the borough’s depot coupled with logistical challenges cannot be overemphasized”.
The Police, Teah noted, cannot be everywhere, and working with Crime Watch Liberia will help strengthen the LNP efforts in the municipality.
Teah emphasized that his office will lobby with President Joseph N. Boakai’s Unity Party government and other stakeholders for support to the Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird Team, pointing out, “these are community volunteers sacrificing every night in the rain and cold to protect residents”.
Margaret T. Forh, the Police Zone 1 commander, lauded the Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird Team for their tireless efforts every night, adding, “the team’s operations will help the LNP curb criminal activities, especially at the Point 4 Junction and Duala Market”.
“Over the years, I have heard about your diligent work and am impressed,” Fohr recounted.
According to the Police Zone 1 commander, they receive numerous calls every night from residents to address the rising crime rate along the Bushrod Island, stressing, “Crime Watch Liberia will now stand in the gap where law enforcement officers cannot reach on time”.
For his part, Zeze Ballah, chief executive officer of Crime Watch Liberia, welcomed the partnership and assured Governor Teah, the Police Zone 1 commander, Community Watch Forum of Liberia, and other stakeholders of the program’s commitment to work alongside authorities and ensure residents are safe.
Ballah emphasized that while the Liberia National Police plays a vital role, they cannot be present everywhere at once, creating gaps that community-based initiatives like Crime Watch Liberia aim to fill.
The chief executive officer of Crime Watch Liberia appealed to the government and charitable organizations for support in strengthening operations, noting that “collaborative efforts are key to addressing crime and fostering peace in the municipality”.
“Crime Watch Liberia has pledged to step up efforts in strengthening community safety across Bushrod Island, particularly in New Kru Town, Point 4 Junction, Duala Market, and its surrounding areas,” Ballah maintained.
Following a fruitful meeting, the Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird Team began arresting suspected criminals in and around the municipality.
On Monday, September 8, 2025, the Crime Watch Liberia Night Birds in New Kru Town arrested an alleged criminal at Duala Market with a bag of dry pepper around 3 am. The suspect refused to provide his name.
An alleged criminal arrested at Duala Market with a bag of dry pepper. Photo Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe/Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird
The Night Birds intensified its patrol and on Saturday, September 13, 2025, Emmanuel, aged 27, popularly known as ‘Courtois’ in New Kru Town, was arrested with a set of cooking pots and two pairs of black slippers concealed in a blue plastic bag.
While on a normal patrol, the Night Birds spotted Emmanuel with a large blue plastic bag and queried him about what was in it. Later, they observed a set of cooking pots and two pairs of black slippers.
Following his arrest, Emmanuel told the Night Birds that his older sister gave the items to him. Not satisfied with Emmanuel’s explanation, the Night Birds demanded to see his sister.
Emmanuel, popularly known as ‘Courtois’ arrested with a set of cooking pots and two pairs of black slippers. Photos Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe/Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird
Emmanuel accompanied the Night Birds to where he took the items from. A female occupant of the house informed Crime Watch Liberia that food was left in the pot, adding, “I do not know who left the door open, and we never heard any sound of him entering”.
Then, on Monday, September 15, 2025, Weah Sackor, an alleged criminal, was arrested along with a fan at 3:20 am. Sackor told the Night Birds that his boss at a barber shop gave him the fan.
Weah Sackor, an alleged criminal, was arrested along with a fan in New Kru Town. Photo Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe/Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird
It was later established that Sackor, who was left in charge of the barber shop at night, stole the fan behind his boss.
The Night Birds, still in pursuit of criminals on Thursday, September 25, 2025, arrested Charles Allie, aged 19, a drug addict of Point 4 Junction, Zimbabwe, with a fire extinguisher, a set of cooking pots, two pairs of scissors, and some parcels of Kush.
Charles Allie, aged 19, a drug addict of Point 4, Zimbabwe, arrested with a fire extinguisher, a set of cooking pots, scissors, and some parcels of Kush Photo Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe/Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird
Allie, who said that he had been on the street for the past two years, claimed that a friend gave him the items.
On the same day, Thursday, September 25, Charles Toe was arrested in New Kru Town with a barrel at 2:50am. Toe claimed that his older sister, a resident of Caldwell, Samukai Town, gave him the barrel.
Charles Toe arrested with a barrel in New Kru Town Photo Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe/Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird
The suspects and all the items arrested were turned over to the Liberia National Police in the municipality and the Zone 1 Police Station.
Lawrence Gbakkuk Doe, a member of the Crime Watch Liberia Night Bird Team in New Kru Town, said the month of September 2025 has been very tough, adding, “a lot of strange movements occurred in the municipality every night”.
Doe said the Night Birds are challenged and need the Government of Liberia and philanthropic organizations support because according to him, fighting crime is everybody’s business.
Partnership meeting among the governor’s office, Crime Watch Liberia, the Liberia National Police, the Community Watch Forum of Liberia, and stakeholders, Photo Governor Robert B. Teah office
“The municipality is overcrowded, and if the necessary support is provided, Liberians can rest assured that the Bushrod Island, Point 4 Junction, Duala, and its environs will be safe from crime, “also,” Doe pointed out.
Due to the influx of illicit drugs into Liberia, the Crime Watch Liberia Night Birds in New Kru Town are also involved with searching vehicles and motorcyclists in the municipality during the night hours.
Featured photo Zeze Ballah/Crime Watch Liberia
Discussion about this post